Empire period bodice. Cream satin with mauve sprig of roses pattern. Of a set with ZBA4681 - skirt.
Bodice and skirt of chiné silk ribbed cream ground sprigged with purple flowers. The bodice and skirt were originally an 18th-century gown that has been recut in the 19th-century for fancy dress. The bodice has been overlaid with net at the cuffs, neck and shoulders to create the effect of an 18th-century fichu and cuffs and there is an insertion in the front of machine-made lace. There is a central front opening with 4 hook & eye fastenings. There is boning under the arms and the back central seam is boned. The central seam at the back has been left open and laced by means of a cord running through eyelets to imitate 18th-century stays.
Some of the original lining of glazed tabby weave cotton survives at the shoulders and back and has been used to create bust pads for the front. The bodice is fully lined with cotton twill and shows a combination of hemmed and machine stitching. There is a cotton linen tying tape at the bottom hem to ensure the fit.
The skirt is of 9 panels of silk. It has a scalloped hem which is edged with an original 18th-century ruffle that has been recut. The original edge which has been pinked in a scalloped pattern survives. The skirt is gathered in the back at the waistband and has a series of tapes running down the interior which could be tied to approximate 18th-century drapery. It has a side closure and fastens by means of a hook and eye and the skirt has been gathered to a cotton twill tape to serve as waistband.